If you are the type of person who is constantly praised for your decorating choices, always asked by friends and family for design advice and spend your free time pinning interior trends – interior design may be your calling. Before you take the career leap, here are some facts to consider about becoming an interior designer.

1. You need to harness and explore your creative flairA critical eye for understanding space, an intuition for balance and harmony, and an obsession for colour are just some of the indicators that you might possess a natural flair for interior design. It is this raw talent that can form the foundation of your long and successful career.

2. It’s not about sharing the same tastesYou are employed to service the interior design needs of your client, not to enforce your individual sense of style and design. If they want mustard coloured walls with a red feature, smile politely. It is your job however, to be the voice of reason when it comes to issues of safety and functionality. Professionals broach such topics professionally – being a ‘people person’ is a skill to master.

3. You will be running a businessIf you opt for the freelance interior design route, keep in mind that you will be in charge of running your own interior design business as well. This means dealing with such things as invoicing, administration and marketing. If you are not familiar with business arena, you may need to polish up such skills or enlist the help of someone who is.

Run your business to your schedule as an interior designer

4. Your work schedule is yours to design

As a freelance interior design, your hours are your own and you get to decide your schedule. This may be coupled with sleepless nights of concern over the colour of 2mm squared tile, but bask in the knowledge that you decide your wake up call.

5. A degree is not requiredThere are no formal qualifications you need when becoming an interior designer. Specialised skills and knowledge are a must however, and it’s advisable to back up your basic intuition with further studies. Courses like the one offered by The Interior Design Academy set you up with the fundamentals and put you on a path to stay ahead of the game.

6. Being organised while multi-tasking is a necessityAs you success grows, so too will the number of interior design projects you have on the go at the one time. Working on multiple projects with multiple clients overseeing multiple designs, decisions and details will make up the majority of your day. Make sure you have it in you – and enough for everyone else.

Communication, networking and multitasking are skills that will help build your interior design reputation

7. It will take time to build a reputable name

Building a solid foundation for your interior design business will take time. In this start up period, it’s ideal to assist friends and family to boost your portfolio and encourage word of mouth about your services. Your hard work will pay off, quite literally.

8. The salary can be greatYour salary will be largely dependent on the work you do, your experience and your location. As you build your way up the rungs of the interior design world, so too will your income reflect this.

9. You will face challengesUnfortunately, interior design is not all colour and balance. As with anything in life, you will likely experience with projects that go wrong and have to deal with difficult clientele. Your defining factor however will be in how you choose to take these situations on board and learn each time for the next time.

10. It’s a rewarding jobWitnessing your creative designs come to life while knowing you have enhanced a space for its occupants is the ultimate satisfaction. Sharing that joy with your thrilled clients is second to none. Psychologists say that if you find a job you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.

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"I am well on to my way to making a six figure salary, with another five commissions that I’m currently working on just for this year. I looked at The Interior Design Academy as an investment in my career."

“Acquiring my diploma with The Interior Design Academy has given me such confidence and a great sense of satisfaction. I have already made a name for myself and now that I am a qualified professional interior designer I can get my business going.".

“Don’t be put off thinking you need a degree. A lot of interior design thinkers are not compatible with the lecture hall environment of study [but] this course is a great alternative, as long as you are willing to put in the hard yards.”

"The biggest plus for me with this course was the flexibility of distance learning. This interior design course is well written and very up to date. I really appreciated my tutor’s feedback and that support was important to the whole learning process."

"Studying with The Interior Design Academy was a pleasure. I was provided with all necessary information and time to complete assignments, it was affordable and convenient! My tutor always kept me informed."

“As each tutorial progressed I gained confidence in the work I was achieving. On completion of the course, I found that having sourced different suppliers and companies to meet different aspects of the tutorials, I had amassed a huge portfolio of contacts."

"The Academy was truly the beginning of my journey; the course was informative, interesting and creative. The resources were brilliant and the assistance and feedback provided by my tutor was invaluable."

“My favourite thing about my job is seeing my clients’ faces light up once we have completed the changes. I once had client who turned to me and said, 'I think I no longer want to sell' after seeing her home set up for the photo shoot.”

“My passion lies in helping people transforming their homes. Time and time again I have referred to my course assignments and tutorials to help me in my business – especially in terms of engagement and how to charge a client.”

“I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this interior design course to anyone. Whether a beginner or someone looking to refine their skills in interior design, this course can help you!"

"After searching the Internet and reading about the various correspondence courses on offer, I discovered The Interior Design Academy’s Professional Interior Design Course. I felt that it was the one for me."

"Living in a country town I would not have had the opportunity to study Interior Design, let alone have a career, were it not for the convenience of the correspondence course. I have also enjoyed being able to work at my own pace in a relaxed home environment."

“[The course] gave me confidence in this space, and, by the end, I had a portfolio that was relevant and a series of document templates that have been so useful in the “real world” – I haven’t looked back.”

“Even being in this industry for 13 years, I still learnt a thing or two. I would highly recommend this course, whether you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for years. You never stop learning."

“I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the course and it’s the best study decision I’ve ever made. The course covered everything ... from colour schemes, plans and ecofriendly designs. It was easy to follow and there was no pressure.”

Please direct any questions you may have to the Academy: Phone +61 (2) 9327-7778 or email [email protected]

We appreciate that you may wish to speak with someone who has completed the course, however, we respect our graduates time and privacy and must be mindful of their own professional commitments. We therefore ask that you contact us directly.

ABOUT THE INTERIOR DESIGN ACADEMY

The Interior Design Academy has proudly provided interior design courses and training since 2003. Our directors and principals have been involved in all aspects of media work and distance education for over 30 years and we have provided interior design courses online to students in over 80 countries and territories.

FIND US IN YOUR LOCATION

Courses available to anyone in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane, Darwin, Canberra and all regional and metropolitan areas. As the course is conducted online, you can undertake it from any location in the world. The Interior Design Academy is a division of Australian News and Feature Service Pty Ltd. Our sister college in the United Kingdom is the British College of Interior Design providing online interior design courses in Australia and New Zealand.